Gujjar youth cracks ‘IIT-JEE Advanced’ in first attempt

Srinagar, June 04: Faizan Shakeel Badhana, a young student from the remote village of Nachayan in Karnah, Kupwara, has become the first from the Gujjar community in north Kashmir to crack the IIT-JEE Advanced, one of India’s toughest engineering entrance exams in his very first attempt.
Hailing from an area where basic educational infrastructure remains a challenge, Faizan’s journey is proof of resilience, self-belief, and determination. “If I can do it, anyone can,” he told Rising Kashmir with quiet pride.
Faizan received his primary education in Nachayan before moving to Srinagar in 8th grade. He completed his 10th grade at New Convent School, and went on to pursue his higher secondary education at SP Secondary School. It was during his 12th grade, after joining RISE Institute in Srinagar for coaching, that he truly began to understand the path to competitive exams like IIT-JEE.
“Until class 10, we had very little idea of what engineering or JEE even meant,” Faizan recalls. “It was only after speaking with a cousin, who was studying Computer Science Engineering, that I became interested in the field.”
Despite the lack of coaching centres or educational resources in his village, Faizan’s drive pushed him forward. He had earlier qualified the NDA written exam, scoring 97 percentile, and was awaiting the viva at the time. He also cleared both stages of a Mathematics Olympiad, as well as Stage 1 and Stage 2 of the NDE (National Defence Examination), eventually qualifying for the GED (General Engineering Diploma entrance).
“I was the first student from my class to qualify for the GED,” he said. “We didn’t know what these exams were or what to do after qualifying them. Exposure is key.”
Faizan credits his success not just to hard work, but to the timely mentorship he received. “When I joined RISE, everything changed. The teachers, especially Mr. Azaan, guided me at every step. I didn’t even know how to study before that,” he admits.
He highlighted the role of proper direction in competitive exam preparation. “Even if someone works hard, without the right guidance, they might fall behind. It’s crucial to have someone to show the way.”